The Sylvan House
Lisa Booher
Jenell Weaver
Candy Hamilton
In the early 1920s, the smoke and noise of commerce at the heart of Indianapolis created a need for residential solutions further from the city center.
Following the advice of nationally recognized landscape architect George Kessler, city officials built wider bridges, widened existing streets, and created new streets to connect the city’s parks. Three segments of the upgraded streets were designated as boulevards and renamed for Mr. Kessler, all of which quickly came in handy with the rise of the automobile.
In anticipation of a suburban housing boom, three prominent Indianapolis businessmen envisioned an upscale neighborhood on the west side of Washington Township, about seven miles from Monument Circle. The partners named the new addition “Northern Estates Section 1,” and divided the acreage into large building sites.
The second residence in Section 1 of Northern Estates was built in 1927 for Arthur and Emma Wolf. The architects of the Wolf home were Paul Matkin and James Loer of the Loman Company. The 130-foot by 330-foot lot was given the address of 4360 North Kessler Boulevard West Drive. Although both the driveway into the property and the main entrance to the home faced Sylvan Road to the west, the residence would not have its present-day Sylvan Road address until several decades later.
Though they never resided in the property, the Wolfs would be the first of eight owners of the Sylvan House at Northern Estates. After its completion in 1927, the property was sold to Forest M. Knight, the owner of a local real estate company. Mr. Knight also never occupied the home. In 1928, he sold the property to Mr. and Mrs. Dudley M. Williston.
Dudley Williston owned/managed theatres for Warner Brothers Pictures with his wife, Louise. The same year he bought the Sylvan House, he purchased the Walker Theater on Indiana Avenue. Two short years later, the couple sold the property to John Warvel, Sr., M.D. and Ruth Warvel.
Dr. Warvel came to Indianapolis in 1919 and soon became a highly respected pathologist on the staff of Methodist Hospital. In 1923, Dr. Warvel gained notoriety for his testimony against D. C. Stephenson, the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, regarding the abduction, rape, and murder of a young woman named Madge Oberholtzer.
Ruth Warvel was a graduate of the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing. In 1923, Ruth had the honor of administering the very first injection of insulin to a diabetic patient after Eli Lilly’s new drug was approved. The event was attended by the then-single Dr. Warvel, and the two were married a few months later. Mrs. Warvel was also the first president of the Indiana State Museum Society. The Warvels lived in the home on Sylvan Road for thirty-six years. In 1961, they installed an in-ground swimming pool in the yard to the rear or east side of the residence.
After her husband’s death in 1967, Mrs. Warvel sold the property to Charles and Verlene Herron. Chuck worked as the VP of Manufacturing for Esterline Agnus. Vee was a member of St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild and helped organize the annual Decorators’ Show House events for several years. They owned the property for almost four years before it changed hands once again to William Wise, M.D. and Anna Wise in 1972.
Dr. Wise ran a private practice in Indianapolis for fifty years. His wife, Anna was a registered nurse at Wishard Memorial Hospital (now Eskenazi Health) and at Roudebush Veterans Administration Hospital. In 1976, the garage served as the precinct voting location. Toward the end of the Wise family’s eight years of ownership, the house switched to its present-day address of 4521 Sylvan Road.
In 1978, John Munshower, M.D. and Marcia Munshower purchased the home. Dr. Munshower was a neurologist with Community Hospitals for forty-six years. He loved nature and was especially fond of The Sibley Guide to Birds. Marcia served as the Democratic precinct committee woman during the years they lived in the home. The Munshowers owned the property for almost twenty-eight years.
In 2006, the eighth and current owner, Jeneane Life purchased the property after living in other historic residences in the Indianapolis area. Jeneane works in the hospitality industry and owns and operates inns located in Indianapolis and Nantucket.
Although upgrades have been made over the 97 years since the home was constructed, many of the original quality materials and fine details of the home remain today. The exterior walls of the English-style home have stucco and brick finishes, as well as half-timbers. The roof is slate. The formal entrance on the west side of the home is two stories high and made of Indiana limestone. Over the front door is a crest bearing a crossed sword and a knight’s helmet. The less formal entrance on the east side of the home overlooks the large lot, which slopes down to Kessler Boulevard below it.
St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild is pleased to present this unique residence as the site of its primary fundraising event for 2024. Guild members, along with the homeowner, designers, sponsors, and advertisers, look forward to another year of supporting Indianapolis’ city hospital, Eskenazi Health.
The Failey House
Janet Duncan
Kerry Caito
The residence at 57 East 57th Street is a member of several of Indianapolis’ most respected neighborhood organizations. They include the Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association, the Meridian Street Foundation, and Midtown Indy, among others. The property is also within the boundaries of the North Meridian Street Historic District, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The land on which the home was built was originally planned as three separate residential building lots in the Sillery Subdivision of Meridian Street Woods. The first homeowners bought all three lots, thereby creating a property of half an acre with large yards on both the east and west sides of the residence.
The architect who designed the home was Willard Carll Osler (1885-1978). Osler designed many fine residences in the Golden Hill, Mapleton Fall Creek, and Meridian-Kessler neighborhoods. Among the larger projects that Osler designed were Trinity Episcopal Church, Second Presbyterian Church, and First Congregational United Church of Christ.
Construction of the brick Tudor residence began in 1927 and was completed in 1928. The project was overseen by civil engineer and contractor Charles Latham Sr. (1881-1940). Latham specialized in residential projects, building upscale homes for prominent local families, primarily in the Golden Hill and Meridian-Kessler neighborhoods. The home contains approximately 6,670 square feet on three levels. It originally had 7 bedrooms, 4 full baths, and 3 half baths. In recent years, however, the enlargement of the master bedroom suite and the creation of an upstairs laundry room resulted in the loss of two of the original bedrooms. The home was built with an attached 3-car garage. The current owners are adding a fourth bay to the garage, as well as installing a swimming pool.
The home was built by Robert Burnett Failey (1884-1970) and Mary Rebecca Parrott Failey (1886-1970). Both were born in Indianapolis and into families whose ancestors were early settlers of Indianapolis. Mr. Failey was a graduate of Shortridge High School and Princeton University. He was President of the Indiana Mirror Manufacturing Company and a Director of Merchants National Bank and Trust Company. Mrs. Failey also graduated from Shortridge High School and Bennett College in Millbrook, NY. Mary was one of the nine women who founded The Orchard School and was active in numerous local organizations, including the Children’s Museum, Indianapolis Woman’s Club, Dramatic Club, Indianapolis Museum of Art, and the Indianapolis Garden Club. The Faileys had three sons: Robert Burnett Failey Jr., James Franklin Failey, and William Henry Comingore Failey.
Following the 1970 deaths of both Robert Sr. and Mary, the residence was acquired by their oldest son, Robert Burnett Failey Jr. (1915-2007). Like his father, he graduated from Princeton University, and then Harvard Medical School. He practiced internal medicine at the Indiana University Medical Center. Bob was president of the University Club of Indianapolis and served on the Board of Corporators of Crown Hill Cemetery and the Ensemble Music Society.
In 1984, the property was purchased from Dr. Failey by his nephew, John Noël Failey, and John’s wife, Julia (Jill) Luros Failey. John is a graduate of Wabash College. After serving in the U.S. Army, John received a master’s degree from the Indiana University School of Business. He was President of Engineered Cooling Systems from 1984 to 2004. Currently, John serves as President of the Ensemble Music Society. Jill graduated from Indiana University and created the recreational therapy program at the Hook Physical Rehabilitation Center and the Pain Center at Community Hospital. She was the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s 2013 Indianapolis Woman of the Year. Jill is active in several community organizations. For fifteen years, she held a variety of leadership roles in St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild, including President in 2007 and 2008. John and Jill have two daughters, Julia Failey and Elisabeth Failey Wagner.
After 82 years of ownership by members of the Failey family, the home was sold to Jay Metzler and Andrea (Toth) Metzler in 2010. Jay is the owner of Houseworks Building Company. Andrea is an Orthopedic Physician’s Assistant. She has a B.S. from DePaul University and an M.S. from Butler University. During the eight years of the Metzlers’ ownership, they made significant renovations throughout the home. In 2018, the couple sold the property to its fifth and current owners. The Metzlers now reside in Boise, Idaho.
The current owners of the residence are Eugene C. Hsiao, M.D., and Tomi (Hill) Hsiao. Dr. Hsiao grew up in Indianapolis and graduated from North Central High School. He has a wide range of training in plastic surgery and reconstruction. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He received his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine. He also received post-graduate training at both the University of Louisville and Washington University in St. Louis. Tomi Hsiao is also a graduate of the University of Louisville. It was there that the couple met. Tomi enjoys being involved in her children’s school activities. Dr. and Mrs. Hsiao are the parents of Hannah, Zach, and Oliver. The family enjoys playing hockey, volleyball, and golf.
St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild is excited to present this unique residence as its 62nd Decorators’ Show House and Gardens. Proceeds from the annual event will be donated to the Behavior Health Academy at Eskenazi Hospital. The guild has pledged a gift of $1,000,000 to the facility.
The history of the Decorators’ Show House and Gardens was researched by St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild member, Sharon Butsch Freeland.
The Rhodehamel House
Lisa Booher
Lynne Smiley
The residence at 5320 North Meridian Street is located within the boundaries of several respected community organizations. They include the Butler-Tarkington Neighborhood Association, Meridian Street Preservation Commission, Meridian Street Foundation, and Midtown Indy. The architect who designed the residence and oversaw its construction was Charles Russell Federman (1893-1944). Mr. Federman built many outstanding homes in the Butler-Tarkington, Meridian-Kessler, and Meridian Hills neighborhoods.
He and his family resided only a block away from the subject property when it was being built. His name is not as well-known as other Indianapolis architects who were active in the first half of the twentieth century, because Mr. Federman died at the relatively young age of 50.
1935 image of 5320 North Meridian Street from the Harley Wesley Rhodehamel Sr. Photo Archive
The two-story brick Tudor home with slate roof, stone trim, and leaded glass windows was built on a lot measuring 100 feet by 297.5 feet, almost seven-tenths of an acre. The home contains 5,226 square feet on the main level, 2,283 square feet on the second level, 2,253 square feet in the basement, and 690 square feet in the attic, for a total enclosed living space of 10,452 square feet. The living room and library on the main level, as well as the recreation room on the lower level, all have fireplaces. Carved woodwork and arched doors convey both warmth and elegance. Each of the five bedrooms has its own full bath, plus there are half-baths on the main and lower levels. The residence also has an attached 3-car garage.
Construction of the residence began in 1929, as evidenced by its appearance on the 1929 Baist Atlas map of the north side of Indianapolis. However, the first owners of the home did not purchase the property until October of 1934. It is unclear as to why it took five years for the house to be completed, but possibly the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed it caused a delay in the home’s construction. Several details that relate to the first homeowners’ interests and organizational affiliations remain in the home today, including carvings in the stonework and the woodwork.
In October of 1934, the property was purchased from the American Estates Company by Harley Wesley Rhodehamel Sr. (1885-1952) and his wife, Mary (Klentschy) Rhodehamel (1886-1968). The Rhodehamels were the parents of two sons, Robert Harley Rhodehamel Sr. (1913-1996) and Harley Wesley Rhodehamel Jr. (1918-2005). A Purdue University graduate, Harley Rhodehamel Sr. worked at Eli Lilly and Company for 42 years, serving as the head of its research department for many of them. Among the achievements under his direction were the development of barbiturates and insulin. He was a member of Tabernacle Presbyterian Church and Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. Mary Rhodehamel was a member of The Propylaeum, Fortnightly Literary Club, and Fairview Presbyterian Church.
Shortly after the 1952 death of Harley Wesley Rhodehamel Sr., the Rhodehamels’ older son and his family moved into the residence with the widowed Mary. Robert Harley Rhodehamel Sr. (1913-1996) was a graduate of Wabash College and Harvard Business School. Like his father before him, Robert worked at Eli Lilly and Company for more than four decades. He was a Navy veteran of World War II and a member of the Indiana Historical Society. His wife, Emma (Clark) Rhodehamel (1917-2004), did volunteer work at Indianapolis’ first osteopathic hospital, Westview Hospital, now part of the Community Health Network. She was also active in the Park School Mothers’ Association. Robert and Emma’s children were Carole (Rhodehamel) Carroll, Joyce Ann (Rhodehamel) Stineburg (1946-2010), and Robert Harley Rhodehamel Jr. In 1964, Mary Rhodehamel moved from 5320 North Meridian Street to the newly constructed Meridian Towers Apartments on the southeast corner of 40th and Meridian Streets. Following Mary’s death in 1968, the subject property was owned by Robert and Emma. They remained in the home until 1987. The combined years of the Rhodehamel family’s ownership was 53 years. It was the longest period of occupancy by a family in the home’s nine decades of existence.
The third owners of the property were James Edward Lingeman, M.D., and Rita (Nyeboer) Lingeman. A graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine, Dr. Lingeman is a urologist with IU Health. He was the founding director of the International Kidney Stone Institute and is Professor of Clinical Urology at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Mrs. Lingeman is a graduate of St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Lingemans purchased the home in December of 1987. They were the parents of four young children at the time they acquired the property. Dr. and Mrs. Lingeman completed an extensive renovation of the residence, which was more than half-a-century old by the time of their ownership. They removed the radiators that originally heated the home and installed a totally new heating system, as well as installed central air conditioning. They rewired the home and installed new lighting fixtures. They installed a new kitchen and replaced three of the bathrooms. They painted all of the exterior trim, as well as some of the interior areas, a light teal color.
John Edward Pless, M.D., (1938-2014) and Lois (Stevens) Pless became the fourth owners of the property in 1990. A graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine, Dr. Pless was a Forensic Pathologist. He served as a Captain in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Reserves. Mrs. Pless was active in the Faculty Women’s Club of the IU School of Medicine. Dr. and Mrs. Pless were the parents of Jan Pless Whitesell, Cindy Pless Boschen, and Joshua Pless. The Plesses were initially members of Trinity Episcopal Church and later, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. They lived in the home for nine years.
In 1999, Andrew J. Lynch, Ph.D., became the home’s fifth owner. An outstanding athlete at Johns Hopkins University, he chose furthering his education over a professional basketball career. He went on to Columbia University, where he obtained an MBA and a Ph.D. in Philosophy. After a successful career as an executive in several respected firms, he became a professor at the Kelley School of Business. He retired in 2015. Dr. Lynch resided in the residence for seventeen years.
The current owners of the home are Jamie Lee Bradbury, M.D., and Lori Elizabeth (Huffman) Bradbury, R.N. The couple purchased the property in the spring of 2016. An Ohio native, Dr. Bradbury attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and was graduated from “The” Ohio University in Columbus and the Indiana University School of Medicine. He is a neurosurgeon at IU Health, specializing in the surgical treatment of neurological system disorders. Indiana-born Lori Bradbury has a degree in Community Health from Purdue University and a degree in Nursing from the University of Indianapolis. She enjoys volunteering for a local troop of Girl Scouts. The Bradburys are the parents of two daughters, Katherine and Evangeline.
St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild is pleased to present this wonderful residence as the site of its primary fundraising event for 2022. Since its inception in 1962, the Decorators’ Show House and Gardens has featured thirty-four homes on North Meridian Street. The frequent appearances of properties on this historic Indianapolis thoroughfare are a testament to the quality of the construction along Meridian Street, as well as an indication of the philanthropic spirit of the homeowners. The guild, along with the homeowners, designers, sponsors, and advertisers, look forward to another successful year of support for Eskenazi Health.
The history of the Decorators’ Show House and Gardens was researched by St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild member, Sharon Butsch Freeland.
The residence at 5417 North Meridian Street is located on the main north-south thoroughfare of the City of Indianapolis. Homes along this two-mile long, boulevard-like stretch of North Meridian Street are part of several organizations that seek to maintain the area’s history, appearance, and quality of life. Those nonprofit groups include the Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association, the Meridian Street Foundation, and the Meridian Street Preservation Commission. The North Meridian Street Historic District is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The real estate firm that both designed the home and constructed it, the Schoen-Morgan Company, was founded by Effie Schoen-Morgan (1873-1960). She was the company’s owner, president, and driving force, which was an unusual position for a woman in the early decades of the 1900s. Her first husband, John Schoen, had died in 1910, and her second husband was named Morgan, hence her hyphenated surname. Effie’s son, Robert Schoen, was the designer of the homes, and her son, Joseph Schoen, was the sales manager. Schoen-Morgan built hundreds of homes over the years, many of them between 46th and 86th Streets and a few blocks on either side of North Meridian Street. After her retirement, Mrs. Schoen’s grandson, Robert Schoen Jr. (1932-2008) served as president of the company.
Construction of the house and detached garage began in 1929 and was completed in 1930. They were erected on a typical Meridian Street lot, with a frontage of 100 feet and a depth of 300 feet. At the time the home was built, there were fewer structures west and north of it than there are today. Sitting on the crest of a hill, the home originally had a view of the White River, just a few blocks away. The exterior of the two-story Colonial is red-brick veneer with Bedford limestone trim. A Southern-style open porch with eight immense Corinthian columns extends across the front of the residence. A long driveway winds its way up the hill from Meridian Street below to the original 3-car garage at the rear, which had an addition constructed on the south end of it by the home’s eighth owners. The five-bedroom, five-and-a-half bath home contains 5,536 square feet on the main and upper levels and 2,110 square feet in the basement, for a total of 7,646 square feet. Construction of the home began in 1929 and was completed in 1930. However, it did not sell for several months, possibly due in part to the stock market crash in September of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression.
The first owners of 5417 North Meridian Street were Willis Meredith Nicholson Sr. (1866-1947) and his wife Eugenie (Kountze) Nicholson (1867-1931). They moved into the residence on October 8, 1930, according to newspaper articles in both The Indianapolis News and The Indianapolis Star. They had resided in the Golden Hill neighborhood for about six years prior to the move. Meredith Nicholson was a poet, author, journalist, and diplomat. Born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, he moved to Indianapolis with his parents and sister when he was five years old. Along with Booth Tarkington, George Ade, and James Whitcomb Riley, Nicholson helped create a period that’s often referred to as the Golden Age of Literature in Indiana. He authored twenty-eight books, the best-known of which were The House of A Thousand Candles, The Port of Missing Men, and A Hoosier Chronicle. Mrs. Nicholson passed away only a year after the couple moved into the house. The Nicholsons’ children — Elizabeth (Nicholson) Claypool Brown, Willis Meredith Nicholson Jr., and Charles Lionel Nicholson — were grown, married, and living in homes of their own, so Mr. Nicholson was then all alone in the large home. In 1933, the widowed Meredith Nicholson married Dorothy (Wolfe) Lannon (1895-1951). That same year, Nicholson was appointed United States Minister to Paraguay by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Nicholason sold the home, just prior to moving to Paraguay. He subsequently served as Minister to Venezuela and Minister to Nicaragua, as well. The Nicholsons eventually returned to Indianapolis, where he died on December 21, 1947.
The second owners of the property were Warren Charles Fairbanks (1878-1938) and Helen Ethel (Cassidy) Fairbanks (1883-1944). Born in Indianapolis, Fairbanks was the eldest son of United State Vice President, Charles Warren Fairbanks. In 1898, he served as a captain in the Spanish-American war. Warren Fairbanks was the state director of President Herbert Hoover’s unemployment relief commission in the early 1930s. He served on the Board of Directors of several companies and was a trustee of the McKinley National Memorial Association. Mr. Fairbanks was President of The Indianapolis News from 1922 until his unexpected death in 1938. The couple’s two daughters, Edith (Fairbanks) Modrone and Cornelia (Fairbanks) Poole, were grown and married by then, so Mrs. Fairbanks sold the property the following year. Mrs. Fairbanks passed away in Chicago in 1944.
The third family to occupy 5417 N. Meridian Street resided in the home from 1939 until 1961, which was the longest time period of all its residents. David Lurvey (1886-1959) and Frances (Traugott) Lurvey (1889-1942) and four of their five children — Leonard, Rosalie, William, and Frances — moved into the home in the fall of 1939. David Lurvey was the president of the Hatfield Electric Company. Fanny Lurvey was widely known in civic and philanthropic organizations, including the League of Women Voters, American Red Cross, and Indianapolis Council of Jewish Women. Mrs. Lurvey died in 1942. Two years later, David Lurvey married Ruth (Hammerman) Levey (1900-1962). Ruth had been widowed by the death of her husband, Lewis J. Levey, in 1943. Over the next two decades, the melded Lurvey and Levey families hosted many activities in the home. Three of the Lurvey children were married in the residence during the years the Lurveys lived in the home. Rosalie married Joseph Rothbard in 1944; Leonard married Mildred Briggs in 1949; and Frances married Samuel Ross in 1957. Two years after David Lurvey’s 1959 passing, Ruth sold the home to its next owners.
The fourth owners of the home were Clarence B. La Dine (1904-1979) and Veneta (Leonard) La Dine (1907-2002). Dr. La Dine was born in Prophetstown, Illinois. During World War II, he served as an executive officer of several Army hospitals in Iceland, England, and France. He was discharged after the war with the rank of colonel. Mrs. La Dine was from Mount Vernon, Illinois. “C. B.” and his wife settled in Indianapolis after he completed his studies at Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. La Dine was on the staff of Methodist and Community Hospitals and also had an office in the Brightwood neighborhood for many years. Like the Lurveys, the La Dines opened their home to many social, civic, and philanthropic events. The La Dines were members of North United Methodist Church and the Marion County Historical Society. Mrs. La Dine was president of the Indianapolis Council of Women, chair of the Indianapolis Stay-In-School Project, and on the committee responsible for the building of the Indiana Convention Center. The La Dines had no children, and following Dr. La Dine’s death in 1979, Mrs. La Dine sold the property to its fifth owners.
Richard R. Hamilton (1941-1997) and Carolyn (Hohl) Hamilton lived nearby on Washington Boulevard when the La Dine residence became available. The couple had begun investing in real estate a few years earlier and were members of a local investment club. Richard had previously been a salesman, and Carolyn had been a public health nurse. The Hamiltons and their young daughters, Wendy and Jennifer, lived in the Meridian Street property for only a couple of years, 1980-1982. During their ownership, Richard installed an in-ground hot tub in the back yard and built a playhouse in a tree for the girls. Caroline, Wendy, and Jennifer now reside in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The sixth owners of the home were Gerald R. Levin and Rhonda (Solotkin) Levin. Both are Indianapolis natives. Gerald is a dentist with a practice on the northeast side of Indianapolis, which continues today. Rhonda is a school psychologist. The Levins owned the property from 1982 to 1984.
The seventh owners of 5417 N. Meridian Street were Robert L. Zerbe and Linda (Rhode) Zerbe. Their children are Anne, Eric, and Sarah. Dr. Zerbe was born in Ohio in 1950. He came to Indiana to attend the Indiana School of Medicine. At the time the Zerbes purchased the home, he was executive director of Lilly Research Laboratories, a division of Eli Lilly and Company. Their residence was on the Crossroads Guild Holiday Home Tour in 1991. Since leaving Lilly and selling the home, Dr. Zerbe has gone on to work at Parke-Davis, Pfizer, and QUATRx Pharmaceuticals.
The home’s eighth owners were Kevin M. Kelley and Karen (Sandy) Kelley. They lived in the home from 1996 until 2008. Kevin was a salesman, and Karen was a paralegal. The Kelleys installed the swimming pool and built the addition to the three-car garage to house the pool equipment.
The ninth owners of the home were Kenneth W. Rush and Shannon (Alston) Rush. They occupied the property from 2008 to 2012. Now in her 24th year at Eli Lilly and Company, Ms. Rush has held a number of different positions at the pharmaceutical company.
In 2012, Mark A. Graham and Susan (White) Graham became the tenth owners of the 90-year-old home. Mark is an Indianapolis native and the grandson of Thornton F. Graham, the founder of Graham Electronics. Mark’s mother, JoAnn Graham, was a longtime member of St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild, serving as President in one year and as Show House Chair in another year. Mark serves on the Board of Directors of Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana. Susan hails from Louisville, Kentucky, and serves on the Board of the Meridian Street Foundation. The Grahams’ home has hosted numerous events, including Derby parties, fundraising events, and a family wedding in 2020. They are the parents of four children: Caroline, Peter, Katherine, and David.
It is thanks to the Grahams’ generosity, along with the talents of twenty-two interior designers and three landscape architects, that St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild has the privilege of featuring this wonderful property as its 2021 Decorators’ Show House and Gardens.
The history of the 2021 Decorators Show House and Gardens was researched by St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild member, Sharon Butsch Freeland
William Petty
Landscape A – Welcome Home
Catherine Wright, Allied ASID
Area 7 – The Study
Gene Abel, Senior Designer and Nancy Stanley, Senior Designer
Area 8 – The Cellar Lounge & Tap Room
Matthew W. Harris
Area 10 – Owners’ Suite
Karen Bailey and Jill Holt Dale
Area 16 – Jack & Jill Bath
Christy Soldatis (standing) and Maryellen Hodapp, Principal
Area 17 – Be Our Guest
Michael Arnold
Area 18 – Peter’s Bedroom
Constance Vinson, Allied ASID Interior Designer
Area 20 – First Floor Guest Bathroom
Duane W.H. Arnold and Chip Kalleen
Area 21 – The Office Retreat
Stacy Thompson, Owner & Principal Designer Allied ASID
Area 22 – Mudroom & Hallway
The residence at 10 West 65th Street is located in the northside Indianapolis neighborhood known as Wellington Estates. The area north of 64th Street and west of Meridian Street was originally part of a farm, owned first by the Roberts family and later owned by the Van Scyoc family, both of whom were early settlers of Washington Township. The land was subdivided in 1923 by Oscar Schmidt. He was a partner in the multi-generational real estate company, Lorenz Schmidt and Sons, a prominent Indianapolis firm from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. In 1937, Wellington Estates was included in the incorporation of the Town of Meridian Hills.
The building site, the legal description of which is Lot Number 15 in Wellington Estates, was purchased in the spring of 1929 by Walter and Lucile (Allen) Jamieson. At nearly two acres, it is one of the largest lots in Wellington Estates. The north property line of the lot abuts the south end of the golf course at the Meridian Hills Country Club.
The building permit filed in 1929 by the architect stated that the structure planned for the lot would be a 2-story brick residence of about 6,100 square feet with stone trim, a basement, slate roof, 10 rooms, 3 baths, and hardwood floors. When the home was completed, it was given the street address of 6508 North Meridian Street. It was known by that address for more than a quarter of a century.
Walter and Lucile Jamieson had moved to Indianapolis from Utica, New York in 1917, when Walter was hired to be the assistant director of biological research at Eli Lilly and Company. Within a few years of joining the pharmaceutical company, Jamieson became the department’s director. He held that position until his retirement in 1949. The Jamiesons were active in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the Audubon Society. Mr. Jamieson was also one of the founders of the Indiana Chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Blindness.
The Jamiesons hired local architect and builder Henry L. Simons to design their new home, as well as to construct it. Simons, who both resided in and operated his business from his personal residence at 5151 North Meridian Street, designed more than 500 upscale residences during his long career. Several of Simons’ projects have been Decorators’ Show Houses over the years since the annual event’s debut in 1962. Construction of the Jamieson home began in June of 1929 and was essentially completed by year’s end. The Jamiesons owned the property for two decades.
Mrs. Jamieson passed away in 1948, and Mr. Jamieson retired from Lilly the following year. He then went to live with his only child, Lucile, on the northwest side of Indianapolis. Lucile and her husband, William George Weiss, had built a home on several acres alongside Eagle Creek, which they named “Green Braes.” In 1949, Walter Jamieson sold 6508 North Meridian Street to its second owners, George and Isabelle (Wolf) Dixon.
Mr. and Mrs. Dixon were the proprietors of a florist’s shop called Flowerland, which was located on College Avenue in the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood. Isabelle Dixon was the daughter of Arthur Wolf, the founder of the State Auto Insurance Company. “Dotty,” as she was known to family and friends, inherited considerable wealth upon her father’s passing in 1955. She became a major benefactor of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. The Dixons’ children were Sandra Corbett Dixon Hardee, George P. Dixon, and Michael Dixon.
In 1956, the Dixons retired to Miami, Florida, at which time they sold the property to its third owner, Edward Hubbard Wiest Jr. By the time that the 1957 Indianapolis City Directory was published, the property’s address had been changed from its original 6508 North Meridian Street to 10 West 65th Street. Ed Wiest was the grandson of Lafayette Jackson, the founder of the Standard Grocery Store chain. He was a member of Second Presbyterian Church, the Dramatic Club, and Traders Point Hunt Club. His sister, Elizabeth (Wiest) Johnson, and Liz’s husband, Sylvester Johnson, were the organizers of the Traders Point Hunt Club Charity Show. Edward Wiest passed away in August of 1986. His estate was settled by his sister, Elizabeth (Wiest) Johnson, and their father, Edward Hubbard Wiest, Sr.
In 1987, 10 West 65th Street was sold to its fourth owners, James Allan Hall III and Dr. Kathleen S. Hall. Mr. Hall is the owner of J. Allan Hall & Associates, a medical insurance company. He also founded Owl Studios, a jazz record label, and co-chaired the annual Indy Jazz Fest. He has served on the Meridian Hills Town Council. Dr. Hall was a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. She is well-known for her studies of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, and she has written many scholarly articles about her research. Dr. and Mr. Hall are the parents of four grown children.
The Halls have been loving stewards of the property throughout their thirty-three years of ownership. During their residency, they named the property “Fox Hill Manor.” With many areas for entertaining – both on the sprawling grounds of the property and inside the spacious residence – the Halls’ home has been the site of many gatherings. A unique multi-story addition to the residence was constructed by the Halls in 2004, which increased the square footage of the original home to its present size of approximately 10,000 square feet. Saint Margaret’s Hospital Guild is pleased to be working with the Halls in featuring this wonderful home as its 2020 Decorators’ Show House and Gardens.
The history of the property and its owners was researched by St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild member Sharon Butsch Freeland